I gasp as I look around at what was left of our home. I turn to the left and see the view that was instilled in my heart forever. The exact spot where the balcony once stood. The view from that balcony where many of my best memories took place. I turn and bury my head in Edmund's shoulder. I needed a moment to process my thoughts. I feel him put his hand on my waist but I could tell he was distracted. It was almost like he did it subconsciously.
"This is terrible." Susan breaks the silence. I could hear the grimness in her voice. "With all of this overgrowth, there is no way that this just happens. A lot of time must have passed. Maybe hundreds of years."
"Come on let's take another look around." Peter says to all of us. I feel Edmund nod and pull away from me. I see everyone start to walk away but I suddenly remember something.
"What about the treasure room?" I voice as everyone turns and looks at me.
"What Maggie?" Peter asks me taking a step forward.
"The treasure room." I repeat. "It was underground. That means it might have survived." I state. They are all looking at me like I had ten heads.
"What is so important about that?" Lucy asks me in confusion.
"Well it's a treasure room so there are artifacts there. So, there are probably swords or bows or some sort of weapons down there." I tell the girl.
"Of course Maggie!" Susan says grabbing my arm. "Why didn't I think about that?" She asks with a smile.
"Well that will help but we are not exactly equipped to walk around dressed like this." Peter says gesturing down to his clothing.
"If memory serves Mrs. Beaver used to collect our old clothing and put them in these chests. She always said that it was good to save stuff like that because they were historical artifacts." I say putting quotes around the last two words.
"How do you know all of this?" Peter asks me with a laugh.
"She had me help go through Edmund's clothing after one of his growth spurts. She told me that it was important to know how to dress your husband because they don't know how to do it themselves." I laugh standing on my tiptoes and tussle Edmund's hair. It was nice to think of a happy memory in this uncertain time. "Anyway we brought the clothing that didn't fit him anymore down to the treasure room."
"That means that we all have clothing there if it is still standing!" Edmund exclaims.
"Well you three do at least." Susan says gesturing to her siblings. "Maggie and I are as tall as we were then. So, there may not be any clothing saved for us." She says with a thin smile.
"Maggie you are brilliant!" Edmund says lifting me off the ground and kissing my cheek.
"Well come on where is it?" Lucy asks as he sets me down on the ground.
"This way I think." Edmund says taking my hand and pulling me in the direction of the room. The others followed as a sinister mood seemed to fall over the group again. We keep looking around at the ruins until Edmund's hand slips out of mine as he goes running towards a bolder.
"Catapults." Edmund mutters as he examines the large rock.
"What?" Peter asks as we finally catch up to him.
"This didn't just happen." The dark-haired boy states facing towards us. "Cair Paravel was attacked." He state's in deep concern.
I turn away at the thought and grab my locket. How could I let this happen? How could Aslan let this happen? Is this why I couldn't feel magic anymore? What could have happened?
"Maggie, are you coming?" Susan asks, pulling me out of my thoughts. I nod my head and look towards the boys.
When I turn I see the boys pushing the statue out of the way to reveal the door to the treasure room. We walk towards them as Peter tries to turn the doorknob. Instead of turning, however, the knob breaks off in his hands and the door falls off its hinges revealing a dark tunnel.
The blonde boy then reaches into his pocket and pulls out his pocket knife. He uses the knife to cut a strip off the bottom of his shirt. My boyfriend and I look at each other in confusion at the older boy's antics. We turn back to see the older boy wrapping the fabric around a stick that he picked up off the ground.
"I don't suppose you have any matches do you?" Peter asked nodding towards his brother's bag that was strapped over one of his shoulders. I bite my lip knowing what was coming next. I could just see the mischievous gleam in my boyfriend's eyes as he starts to "look" through his bag.
"No, but would this help?" He asks, pulling out a large silver electronic torch with a smirk.
"You might have mentioned that sooner?" Peter asks with a laugh. This got a laugh from all of us.
Edmund turns to look at me and kisses the side of my forehead. He then gives the torch a little flip before turning it on and heading down the stairs. Peter then rolls his eyes at his brother and signals for us to go. We walk down the stairs until we reach these beautiful metal gates. Peter steps forward to open them and reveals the still intact treasurer room.
"I can't believe it!" I gasp as we walk through the gates.
"It's all still here." Peter finishes my thought as the others push their way towards their chests. I see Peter pick up an old shield with Aslan's likeness on it. I look at it sadly but start to make my way to my own chest. As I approach I see Edmund turn towards me with one of his old helmets that was way too big for his head. I let out a small giggle at the sight of him.
"I was so tall." Lucy says holding up one of her old dresses.
"You were older then." Susan says fondly to the young girl.
"As opposed to hundreds of years later when you are younger." Edmund quips to his sisters. I smile at the comment. He always makes me feel better. However, when I turned to look at the others I saw the oldest girl had a distressed look on her face.
"Sue?" I ask turning attention to the dark-haired girl.
"What is it?" Lucy asks her sister.
"My horn." She says sadly. "It must have been on my saddle the day we went back."
While his sister was talking Peter walked over and opened his chest. He immediately pulled out Rhindon and examined it.
"When Aslan bares his teeth, winter meets its death." He reads from the sword.
"And when he shakes his mane we shall have spring again." Lucy finishes. She then pauses and looks down. "Everyone we knew, Mr.Tumnus and the Beavers, they are all gone." She says in a grim voice. We all look down and stand there in silence.
"I think it's time we found out what's going on." Peter says with his voice full of leadership.
"What is in yours Mags?" Susan asked, turning to me. It just occurred to me that I had not bothered to open my chest yet.
I reach over and open my chest and see my swords and some of my clothing. However, something small and shiny catches my eye.
"Oh my!" I gasp taking a giant jump back.
"Darling? What is it?" Edmund says pulling the helmet off his head as he rushes towards me in concern.
"Tell me that that is what I think it is." I say with a giddy laugh. He gives me a weird look as he walks up to my chest. He stops still and lets out a laugh.
"Ed, what is it?" Lucy asks her brother. The boy pulled out a small object and showed it to his siblings.
"It's my engagement ring." I breathe out. I go to reach for it but Edmund stops me.
"Not so fast." He says as he moves the ring out of my reach. He takes my hand, pulls me up the stairs and out the door. I hear the others following behind us. We keep going until he suddenly stops and gets down on one knee.
"What are you doing?" I ask through a laugh looking fondly at the boy I love. He gives me a troublemaking look and clears his throat.
"Maggie we have been through a lot together. We have grown up together twice now and have had many curve balls thrown at us. You once agreed to spend the rest of our lives together in this very spot." He states. I looked around for the first time since he pulled me outside. We were in fact in the same spot that the balcony was. "Well around this spot. It is hard to tell exactly where right now. But the point is that I want to marry you. Even if I have to wait hundreds of years more. Margret Rose Hunter, will you agree to marry me again?" He asks giving me a puppy dog look. I let out a laugh and rolled my eyes.
"Of course I will, you idiot." I say as he places the ring back on my finger where it belongs. I lean forward and run my fingers through his hair. He quickly picks me up and kisses me as he spins us around. I hear his sister's "aw" behind us but he does not put me down until someone clears their throat. We turn to look at Peter who had his arms crossed.
"Not that this was not a touching moment but we need to get changed and move on before it gets too late to travel." Peter scolds as he heads back to the hidden room.